10 Weeks and First OB Appointment!

We had our first OB appointment at 10 weeks exactly. They look like little gummi bears! Here is a picture of the ultrasound:




And here is a brief overview of what is happening with the babies this week:

Though they are barely the size of kumquats — a little over an inch or so long, crown to bottom — and weigh less than a quarter of an ounce, our babies have now completed the most critical portion of their development. This is the beginning of the so-called fetal period, a time when the tissues and organs in their bodies rapidly grow and mature.

They're swallowing fluid and kicking up a storm. Vital organs — including their kidneys, intestines, brains, and liver s(now making red blood cells in place of the disappearing yolk sac) — are in place and starting to function, though they'll continue to develop throughout the pregnancy. If we could take a peek inside, we'd spot minute details, like tiny nails forming on fingers and toes (no more webbing) and peach-fuzz hair beginning to grow on tender skin.

In other developments: Our babies' limbs can bend now. Their hands are flexed at the wrist and meet over their hearts, and their feet may be long enough to meet in front of their body. The outline of their spines are clearly visible through translucent skin, and spinal nerves are beginning to stretch out from their spinal cords. Our babies' foreheads temporarily bulges with their developing brains and sit very high on their heads, which measure half the length of their bodies. From crown to rump, they are about 1 1/4 inches long. In the coming weeks, our babies will again double in size — to nearly 3 inches.

And, finally, a pic of me this week: